Mutual Need
by WindowChild
Summary: When Gregor falls seriously ill, Lizzie takes his two daughters to the Underland in search of a cure. Unfortunately, the Underland itself seems to have been through some hard years, leaving it in a chaotic dictatorship.
1. Chapter 1

Lizzie smoothed her niece's curls and smiled. She was doing her best to put on a brace face for her brothers' children, but it was becoming increasingly harder with every day. The physician had promised that things would get better when she came to live with them, that all Gregor needed was a little lift in spirits. But it seemed all she had done was stop his two daughters, Arianne and Lucy, from falling off the face of the earth.

Her cell phone rang and she glanced cautiously at the girls, "Ari honey, could you - ?"

"Sure," Arianne said quietly, taking her little sister's hand and pulling her into the yard. At ten years old, it was clear that Arianne understood a lot more than was healthy for her.

"Hi sweetie," Lizzie said, answering her husband's call, "I don't know… it might be another couple of weeks. - No, Margie's busy. - She's in another movie I think." She frowned at his next question and lowered her voice, "You know, I think the problem started way before Bridget left them. He's been depressed for so long now." She sighed. It wasn't easy being the one supporting the family; she could hardly imagine how Gregor had done it as a kid. "Listen, I have to go. I promised myself I'd try Margie again today and see if she'd come and visit. I love you too, tell Angel that I miss her. Bye."

"Typical," Lizzie muttered, when her sister's voicemail picked up. "Hi hon, I know you're probably busy." She paused, "But I really think it would help if you came out here for a couple days. He needs you, Marge, things aren't looking too good. Anyway, say hi to New York for me. Talk to you later." She hung up then, done with her phone calls for the day, and decided to check on Gregor. He rarely seemed to need anything, but she always checked with him out of habit.

As she had expected, he was sitting on the sofa looking rather listless. He'd been this way for over a month now; faded and broken looking. It was as if he'd lost the will to _look_ alive. Lizzie turned to leave then, unable to bear the sight of him this way. Unlike usual though, he spoke to her.

"You know what I need, don't you." It wasn't a question.

Lizzie winced. He'd been harping on it ever since she arrived. "Are you sure it's not just because of the divorce?" She asked softly, smoothing his hair out of routine.

"No…" he trailed off, his voice running out of steam, "She was right to go. I – I didn't love her." He turned to look at his sister, their eyes finally meeting and communicating. Lizzie felt her breath leave her, this was the first time he'd said this. The first time he was opening up, even if it was just a little.

"Take them to New York," he said softly, "Stay with Margaret for a while. I want – I want you to show it to them. Maybe they'll have a medicine for me," He stopped again, playing with the loose skin on his fingertips.

"You don't think you could have caught something all the way back then, do you?" One might find it odd that she was speaking with such directness to someone so ill, but Lizzy had learned that it was the only way to keep him talking. If he decided to talk at all, that is.

"I don't know," Gregor replied airily, "But take them there. Promise? Margaret too. I think she needs to see it again. " He closed his eyes then, and Lizzy knew that his daily speech quota was used up. She felt a sudden thrust of sadness, remembering the days when saying "The Underland" wasn't entirely taboo. Then again, there had never really been any of those days.

Arianne returned then, a sobbing Lucy in her arms. 'She cut her knee on the rock," she explained, "Don't worry, I'll fix it."

Lizzie smiled, seeing how transparently similar she was to Gregor. "Guess what sweetheart, I'm going to take you two on trip, to visit Aunt Margie in the city."

Lucy stopped crying and cheered, "Yay! Aunt Margie!" She was only three, but all of her memories revolving their father's youngest sister were filled with lots of happiness.

"To New York? Really?" Arianne seemed skeptical, and for a second Lizzy wondered if she knew. It was impossible, though. Gregor (and Bridget too, she supposed) had done everything possible to prevent the kids from ever finding out.

"Yeah," Lizzie said, realizing that she now needed to actually reach Margret, "I thought it would be a great way to spend the rest of the summer."

"But what about Dad?"

"Oh, he'll be okay for a week or so. Just yesterday he made breakfast all by himself." Arianne nodded along, still seeming worried.

"Don't worry, okay?" Lizzie whispered to her, "Everything's going to be fine." She could only hope that a visit to the Underland would prove this to be true.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N –I'm really sorry, I realized that I misspelled Lizzie's name in the last chapter. It's fixed now. Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Here's chapter two:

"Do you want to ring the bell?" Lizzie asked Lucy, as they walked down the hall to Margret's apartment

"Yes," Lucy said, smiling with delight. Lizzie picked her up so she could reach, and she hit the bell enthusiastically with her thumb.

"Who is it?" A sullen voice called from inside.

"It's Liz!" Lizzie called.

"And Arianne and Lucy!" Arianne called, grinning for the first time all day.

"Oh, hi," Margaret said, smiling weakly at them, "This is a nice surprise." Lizzie's eyes swept keenly over her sister's haggard appearance; she was thinner, her curly hair knotted into a sloppy ponytail.

"What's wrong?" Lizzie asked immediately, noting Margaret's puffy eyelids.

"I got fired," Margaret replied glumly, crossing her arms, "Never mind though, it doesn't matter." She brightened, her face shining with its accustomed exuberance once again. Who wants Oreos?" she asked the girls.

"Me!" Lucy squealed, tottering into the kitchen at high speed.

"Me too please," Arianne said, glancing anxiously at her aunt's face.

"Great, let me get them for you guys," Margaret said, putting an arm around Arianne. "How's your dad?" she asked, in a falsely cheerful voice.

"He's okay…" Arianne answered uncertainly, staring at the tiled floor. "He wanted us to visit you."

"Did he now?" Margaret asked surprised, casting a suspicious eye on her sister. "Well that's good news, right?"

"I guess," Arianne said, munching on her Oreo and shrugging.

"Listen guys, why don't you go watch some TV?" Lizzie suggested.

"No… Or-e-os!" Lucy cheered, clapping her hands together.

"You can take them with you," Margaret said smiling, tossing them the box.

"Really?" Arianne asked, a small smile appearing on her face, "We can never eat in the living room at home."

"Well this is Margie's house," Margaret said, "I don't have rules like that."

The girls ran off, Oreo box in hand and Lizzie said, "You know you've just given them permission to do whatever they want."

"Oh well, that's okay. They deserve it after all." She lowered her voice, "Has he heard form Bridget?"

"Not a word. Not even asking to see the girls."

Margret frowned and thensighed, placing her hand on her sister's, "What's this about Liz?"

Lizzie looked up, keeping her eyes tight on Margret's, "He wants us to take them there."

"Where?" Margret asked, genuinely confused. Lizzie tilted her head to the side in reference and Margret gave a small gasp. "You know we can't."

"Why not?" Lizzie asked. "He thinks they might have the right medicine." She felt her head spin slightly, registering how strange it was for her to be the one campaigning to go back.

"That's ridiculous! Liz, it's been over twenty years."

"I know…" Lizzie said with a sigh, "But he thinks they need to see it. They're his kids Marge."

"But do you really think we should take his advice right now? He can hardly think straight!"

Lizzie frowned, surprised by this. Even as an adult, Margaret placed all of her faith and trust in her brother. Her words set the final mark upon the situation; everything had changed. "He can think just fine, actually. It's just that he's sad."

"Who'd you leave him with, by the way?"

"His neighbor said she'd check in on him twice a day." She bit on her tongue to refrain from mentioning Mrs. Cormaci,"And don't try to change the subject."

Margaret folded her arms in a huff, "I'm not! But this is ridiculous! How do we know that they haven't forgotten us?"

Unexpectedly, Lizzie felt her eyes fill with tears. "How could they have?" She asked, her lower lip trembling. "_How could they have?"_ She repeated, suddenly angry. She hated when Margaret acted as if The Underland was a part of another lifetime.

"I'm sorry," Margret said, squeezing Lizzie's hand, "Really, I'm sorry." She paused, choosing her words carefully,"I know you and Gregor always tell me that I loved it there. It's just - I just don't know if I can go back. I barely remember it Liz." She looked sad now, rather than defiant.

"Lucky you," Lizzie replied with a sniff. As much as it hurt to remember all that they left behind, she truly pitied Margaret for forgetting. "I'm going to do it though."

"Liz –"

"No – _Boots_ - I'm going to sit them down and explain it to them, and then tomorrow morning I'm taking them to Central Park."

Margaret's face softened, "You called me Boots." She smiled slightly and then said, "It's really what he wants?" Lizzie nodded. "Then I'll come. You know I'd do anything that will make him better."

Lizzie looked at her sadly, "Really? Sometimes I'm not sure."

"Oh Liz…" Margret said, reaching out to hug her, "I'm sorry… I'm sorry I made you take care of him by yourself, I'm sorry I didn't help."

"It's okay," Lizzie mumbled into her sister's shoulder, "Just promise me that we'll do this part together."

"I promise," Margret said. She meant it, too.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N – Thanks a lot for the feedback for the last chapter, I really appreciate it! If you didn't already notice, I went back to edit the last two chapters, and changed some things. They're still not great, but I'll probably edit them again after I write a couple more chapters. : )

"Goodnight sweetie," Lizzie whispered softly, kissing Arianne on the forehead, "I'll see you in the morning." They had decided to give the girls the rest of the week to relax before explaining everything. It would be hard regardless, and Margaret had suggested that Lizzie wait until she was less stressed.

"They're asleep," Lizzie murmured, stepping out of the bedroom. "It was nice of you to give them your room, you know."

"Of course," Margaret said, shrugging, "They're my nieces." Lizzie smiled, pausing to lean against the wall and observe her sister. Whatever else was true, she was still as dramatic and compassionate as ever. The compassion was gruffer though. Almost as if Margaret had yet to lose the slight carelessness that she had acquired as a teenager.

"Hey, are you hungry?" Margaret asked, "I just ordered pizza."

"Great," Lizzie said, moving towards the couch, "I like the paint by the way," she said, referring to the pale shade of blue that was new to the living room.

"Oh thanks," Margaret replied, "Carl did it for me. Before we broke up," she added casually, in lieu of an explanation. Lizzie nodded, keeping to her principals of not criticizing her sister's dating habits.

"How are Angel and Mike?" Margaret asked, turning around, "I'm sorry, I can't believe I didn't ask."

"That's okay," Lizzie said, with a smile, "Um, they're fine. Angel misses you."

"Really?" Margaret asked, sounding flattered, "Aw… well, I'll talk to her next time you call."

"I'm sure she'll love that."

"Hey, listen, are you okay?" Margaret asked, dropping the pizza menu on the table, "I mean, is it just the Gregor thing that's wrong?"

"Mmhm," Lizzie said, warming at her sister's concern. "Don't worry about me."

"I'll always worry about you," Margaret said, only half joking. Lizzie frowned. Until Gregor got sick, it had always been like that. Margaret and Gregor worrying over Lizzie, however well things were going for her.

"Funny, because most of the time I'm worrying about you," Lizzie replied, in a tired attempt at being witty.

"Huh," Margaret said, sliding next to Lizzie on the couch, "I wondered how we got like this."

"Like what?"

"Worry warts." She giggled, dropping her head onto Lizzie's shoulder.

"From Mom and Dad, I guess," Lizzie said, "But hey, any normal parent would have been terrified about how we were going to turn out." They both smiled in spite of themselves.

"I miss them a lot," Margaret said. Lizzie didn't say anything. She hated talking about their parents if she could help it, even with her sister. Only Gregor somehow made conversations about them seem okay.

"I know you do," Lizzie said finally. They sat in silence for a while, until Margaret timidly asked, "Did you know I went to visit Mrs. Cormaci?"

"Really?" Lizzie said, snapping to full attention.

"Yeah," Margaret said softly, nodding, "She moved, you know."

"I remember," Lizzie replied. She allowed her thoughts to gently roll over the day they'd received her house warming invitation. They hadn't gone, and Lizzie had always wondered why.

"I want kids," Margaret said flatly, completely out of the blue.

Lizzie grinned at her sister's impulsiveness, "I think you need a permanent guy first."

Margaret frowned, faking irritation, "Sure, sure." Her expression became serious once again, "You know I love them though, right? Arianne, Angel and Lucy? You know," she hesitated for a beat, "If anything were to happen, I'd take them in a heartbeat?" Before Lizzie could answer, the doorbell rang.

"Ooh, that's the pizza guy." Margaret clapped, handing her purse over to Lizzie, "Listen, can you get it? You're good with the tip and stuff."

"Sure," Lizzie replied, heading towards the door. She paid, and they ate their dinner in subdued chitchat. It was only after Margaret was asleep that Lizzie realized she never did hear more about the visit with Mrs. Cormaci.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N – Thanks to everyone who reviewed!

A few days passed uneventfully. Arianne and Lucy both seemed to be happy at Aunt Margie's, even if Arianne would ask the occasional anxious question about her father. Lizzie felt tremendously guilty about spoiling their blissful ignorance with the most shocking information of their lifetime.

"Tomorrow," Margaret said softly to Lizzie.

Lizzie gave a short nod. "I know."

"You're ready?" Margaret asked with concern.

"No," Lizzie replied honestly, "Are you?"

Margaret smiled. "I guess not. Listen, you know we don't have to take them right away. After we tell them, I mean. We can give them time to put it together."

Lizzie sighed. "Gregor called. Not the neighbor, Marge, Gregor himself. He's finally happy." She looked sadly over at her nieces, "He really wants this for them…"

"Okay," Margaret agreed reluctantly, pouring a glass of orange juice for herself. "But don't you think – don't think they might be scared?"

"Of course," Lizzie said, "I was." She tilted her head to the side, in thought, "It was less scary once I saw the real thing."

"Alright," Margaret said, holding her hands up in surrender, "Just trying to make things easier on them. But I guess you'd know better than I would." Lizzie shrugged; she was getting sick of Margaret's allusions to forgetting.

"Lizzie!" Lucy squealed, jumping up and down, "Ice cream!"

"Ice cream?" Lizzie repeated, grinning as she pulled Lucy onto her lap. "You want some?" Lucy nodded enthusiastically. "Okay, are you guys coming?"

Arianne twisted her mouth around in an expression of reluctance, "I don't really feel like it…"

"No problem," Margaret said, "I'll hang out here with you." Arianne smiled softly.

"Yay! Ice cream!" Lucy giggled, allowing Lizzie to help her into her raincoat.

"We'll be back soon," Lizzie announced, taking Lucy's hand and guiding towards the door. "Think about which movie you want to see."

Lucy skipped down the sidewalk, making it hard for Lizzie to keep up with her. "Whoa there," Lizzie said, ruffling her blonde hair, "Slow down, honey. Where do you want to go?"

"Park!" Lucy said, jumping up and down.

"The park?" Lizzie replied, her stomach churning with an icy sensation.

Lucy nodded, "Mommy took us. Ice cream and swings!" Her voice rose to a delighted squeak on the word swings, and she jumped up and down a bit more.

Lizzie quickly considered. There were plenty of ice cream vendors in the park, and playgrounds too. They didn't have to go anywhere near the entrance. Besides, this might possibly be Lucy's last day to be an ordinary kid.

"Okay honey, sounds great." Lizzie bit her tongue the minute the words were out. As far as she could remember, anything could happen, regardless of how careful they were.

They had to walk another nine blocks to _get_ to the park, but Lucy didn't seem to mind. She sang and skipped the whole way, and Lizzie found herself remembering Boots as a toddler. "What flavor are you going to get?" Lizzie asked.

Lucy thought it over deeply. "Strawberry!" she finally exclaimed, "Strawberry!"

"The creamsicle is my personal favorite," Lizzie said. Lucy nodded solemnly. "Alright," Lizzie said, as they finally arrived at the park. "Why don't we get our ice cream and then go over to those benches?" Lucy nodded again. Lizzie quickly scanned the area. It was nowhere near the entrance, and not a rat or cockroach in sight. She relaxed a bit, maybe the park could once again be just a park.

"Here you go," Lizzie said, handing the strawberry shortcake bar to her niece. "Yummy, right?"

Lucy gave a little-kid grin, "Yummy!" She pointed a chubby finger at the playground on their right, "Swings!"

Lizzie nodded. "Yeah, you can go play as soon as you're done, okay?"

"Now!" Lucy said, popping up from the bench before Lizzie could say anything else.

"Honey, wait," Lizzie said, running to catch up to her. She smiled in spite of herself, accepting the uneaten ice cream from Lucy's sticky fingertips. "Okay, you want it later?" However Lucy was already climbing the steps to the slide and didn't hear her.

Lizzie settled herself on a nearer bench, and watched all of the kids play. She wondered vaguely what toddlers in the Underland did to amuse themselves. She'd never asked anyone, and was pretty sure she'd remember if she'd seen playgrounds.

A good thirty minutes passed and Lucy was still full of energy, pushing herself on a swing. Lizzie was just about to tell her that they had to leave, when she felt something soft and strong against her mouth.

Disoriented and alarmed, she tried to move away, only to notice that it was a large, pale hand that was blocking her air passage. "Shh…" a soft voice said, "Do not scare the little ones." Lizzie continued to struggle however, sighing in relieve when the hand was moved away. "Stay quiet," the voice continued, "I must talk to you." Lizzie whirled around, gasping as she found herself staring into a pair of purple eyes.

A/N – Bit of a cliffhanger. : )


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed!

"W-who are you?" Lizzie panted, her face scrunched in terror.

"Shh… It's alright, follow me over here," he whispered, his voice soothing. Lizzie stared close into his face, trying to evoke some sort of recognition of his identity.

"I can't," Lizzie said, her throat tight with panic, "My niece." She gestured feebly to Lucy, who was still playing obliviously on the swing set.

"Your niece?" He looked attentively at Lucy. His eyes were gravely creased when he turned back. "Please, it is most important that we speak." It was his sudden change in demeanor that caught Lizzie's attention, and she reluctantly followed him into a nearby cluster of trees.

"You are which sister?" he asked, as they stood, side by side.

"Excuse me?"

"The youngest?"

"Um, no, the middle," Lizzie answered him, "…I'm sorry, but who are you?"

The man cleared his throat. "Your family knew my brother? Howard? I am Kent."

Lizzie's mind raced. Howard, yes, she remembered him. He was very kind, and one of Gregor's most missed people from the Underland. Her chest tightened suddenly; it was impossibly difficult for her to understand it… Perhaps Gregor had a better grasp on fate than they'd thought.

Lizzie opened her mouth, readying to question him, when he interrupted. "I'm sorry," he said, holding up a hand. "Please, let me explain."

"Alright," Lizzie said, trying to give him a smile. He seemed shaky, and she almost wanted to propose they sit down.

"The Underland…" he sighed, "It has been a bad five years or so. Many wars and deaths, all unity shattered." He paused to allow for her questions.

"Is – Who's –"

"Your friend, Ripred, he is alive." Lizzie's lack of relief saddened her more than anything else.

"Queen –" he broke off, "Well, no longer Queen, Luxa is in captivity. She is very weak. My brother Howard is also, although last I heard he was remained strong. My parents and twin sister have been murdered by the dictator."

"I'm sorry…" Lizzie said hastily, distracted by the other burst of information, "Dictator?"

Kent nodded, his face devoid of all emotion. "He goes by no other name."

"Is he…" Lizzie hesitated, uncertain how to ask about his race.

"He is human."

Lizzie's gasp must have been audible, for Kent nodded and sagged against a tree. "I know. Things are not so simple as before. We are not fighting the Gnawers. Everyone is split up, and it is unclear whom we can trust. Not even the fliers –" His stopped suddenly, kicking at the trunk of the tree. Lizzie found herself sympathetic.

"How did this happen?" The whole thing sounded so ludicrous to her that it was even harder to process.

"Please," he said again, his voice now weaker, "I do not know everything, and do not have time to relay all that I do. I must see your brother."

Lizzie decided on the spot to omit any information about their planned trip to the Underland. "He's very sick," she said, her voice matching his in quality, "My sister and I are watching his children."

Kent's face took on a terrified expression. He sighed. "There have been no prophecies to guide us here. Such a situation was never considered by Sandwich, I suppose. He thought the humans, at least, would always be united." His eyes met Lizzie's. "The hope of many relies on the return of the warrior. I cannot return without good news."

Lizzie frowned, truly sad on his behalf. "I'm really sorry, but I honestly don't think he'd be of any help. He hasn't left his house in months."

Kent nodded. "I am sorry to come at such a time, then." He gave a brief bow, "I will leave you be."

"Wait!" She put a hand on his shoulder, unexpectedly moved by his sympathy to her. "Is there anything me or Mar – Boots can do for you?"

He hesitated and then shook his head. "No, it is too much to ask. Things are very dangerous."

She sighed, hating herself for caring more about what this would mean for Gregor. "Are you sure?"

He nodded. "I am. My sister Stellovet, she has taken a spy position in the Dictator's rule. Things might still improve."

Lizzie vaguely remembered Gregor talking about Stellovet. Things must have been bad if all faith rested in her hands. "But –" she cut off, thinking desperately of something to ask him. "How's Ripred?" she said finally, her affection for her old friend returning.

"He is fine, as I said," Kent said, "The Dictator does not like to deal with Gnawers." It was only then that Lizzie picked up on the other details about him. His speech was not quite as formal as she remembered the Underlanders' to be, and he was wearing an Overland sweatshirt, most likely to block the sunlight.

"How long have you been here?" Lizzie asked.

"Five days," Kent replied, "I am meant to return directly after having received information. We are hoping to rescue Luxa's flier."

"Her flier?"

"Yes, the fliers who did not join his side have either escaped or been imprisoned. Some have died."

"I – I am very sorry about your family," Lizzie said.

"Thank you," Kent replied sadly, "I am sorry about your brother."

"Thanks." They stepped out from the trees, and it took merely five seconds for Lizzie's pupils to burst from her eyes. Lucy had disappeared.

A/N: Some not so pleasant déjà vu there. : ) Please review!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Thanks to the people who reviewed!

Lizzie was furious with herself. She had betrayed all of her instincts; she had forgotten completely about Gregor's mistake with Boots and allowed history to repeat itself. Terrified tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Where – where…" she croaked, turning desperately to Kent.

He squinted, seeming nervous. "Perhaps she's wondered off? Searching for you?"

Lizzie sniffed. "No, she's a good kid. And she was having too much fun to realize I was gone." She shut her eyes, praying silently that that wouldn't be the last time she saw her niece.

Kent's hand patted her awkwardly on the shoulder. "Do not worry. His people would not have taken her, they would have no interest. If anything, our people would be trying to keep her safe."

"Safe?" Lizzie replied, fighting the urge to sob. "She's three years old! Safe from what?"

He looked at her sympathetically. "They may have thought Gregor would be near her, and she could be harmed. The Dictator will be trying to acquire the warrior as _his_ asset as well."

"So you're telling me it _could_ be his people?" Lizzie asked. When dealing with the Underland, she knew that kidnapping usually meant a rather painful ransom.

"No," Kent shook his head, "For we have one thing he does not. We know how important the Warrior's family is to him. He would do anything to save them."

Pride surged through Lizzie's veins, followed by unparalleled rage. "You mean they took her to get him to come?!" She was nearing hysteria, her lungs contracting in her chest. "They – they're trying to force him to come?"

Kent looked exceedingly guilty. "I'm afraid it's a possibility. None of my associates, mind you. But there are those out there who would do nearly anything… These are hard times for us all."

Lizzie's panic instantaneously morphed into further fury, at least Lucy would not be harmed. "Well, they aren't getting the warrior. They're getting me, and I'm going to bring her back whatever that means." Her voice was icy and defiant, and she pulled her hair into a ponytail as she waited for his reply.

His expression was odd, and she could tell he was contemplating. Weighing his moral obligations over those to the Underlanders. "My sister Chim has a daughter," he said at last, "And I'd murder anyone who tried to steal her away from us."

"You'll take me there?" Lizzie said, the last of her tears nearly dried.

"I will," Kent replied. "But please, you can help us, can't you? You broke the code, surely you will be as helpful as your brother."

A fraction of a smile pushed at Lizzie's mouth. It had been the proudest moment of her life. "I'll do what I can," she finally agreed. "After I get my niece back home."

"Alright, then," Kent said, nodding, "Take my hand, I don't want us to get separated by anything that we might encounter."

It sounded ominous, and Lizzie took his hand without question. The added stability calmed her. "Please," she said, attempting to divert her thoughts from the crisis. "Tell me a little more what's happened. So I can help," she added.

His face stiffened, although Lizzie could tell that it was just in thought. She felt her skin prick in anxious suspense.

"It started about a year ago," he said finally, helping her over a couple of boulders. "Suddenly – all these strange occurrences. A lack of Fliers to bond with, Gnawers suddenly found dead outside the Palace." He cleared his throat, "They tried to frame Luxa, you see. It was awful, because Vikus had just died and… things weren't going too well for her." He sighed, "I know she and Stellovet have had their differences, but never anything like that."

Lizzie nodded along, she'd heard that from Gregor. "Then what happened?" she asked. "Wait," she said. "Actually, don't tell me yet." She stared into the Underland's entrance. "Wait until we're inside."

Kent hesitated. "Are you sure? If you'd like to know the whole story, it's better that I tell you now. Would you like to sit on those benches and hear it?"

Lizzie considered this. "No, I'm sorry, but I have to find my niece. Tell me what you can while we walk."

"Alright," Kent said. He let go of her hand, gesturing for her to climb into the entrance.

She did so, refusing to acknowledge anything besides how much she'd grown. The entrance was not so big now.

After he had joined her on the other side, she said, "Seems like it's empty."

His eyebrows widened, and he removed the sweatshirt's hood. "That's never a good sign."

"It's not?" Lizzie asked. "Gregor was once attacked by ra - Gnawers here."

Kent shook his head, looking distressed. "Those days are long gone. You will probably understand soon. Here," he extended his hand to her again, "Take it. We do not want to be separated."

Lizzie obeyed, no longer feeling like an adult. Something about the tunnels reminded her of when she was small. For all the heartache, she missed it terribly.

"You were telling me about Luxa," she reminded him, after realizing that they were truly alone.

"Yes," he said sadly, "Well, she had to go on trial. The Gnawers were very angry. They thought the truce had been broken. But then, Hazard disappeared."

"He did?" Lizzie replied. She had liked Hazard; they had been almost the same age.

Kent nodded. "My family missed him terribly as well, Howard especially. And Luxa lost her will to fight them. She accepted punishment without defending herself."

"Death?" Lizzie said, not remembering his earlier comment about Luxa's fate.

"No, imprisonment," Kent answered, "Aurora joined her, of course. And then throne was… taken. There was no vote on who might receive it, it was merely 'claimed'." His tone was bitter.

"You said Howard was imprisoned too," Lizzie said, finding herself suddenly concerned about the friends she'd left behind.

"He is, along with his Flier, Nike. Under some ridiculous accusation. But if that were all, it would not be so bad. After several months of the dictator's rule, they were moved."

"Moved?"

"To another prison. One out of reach, where they can receive no visitors. Until recently, we worried that they were receiving no food."

"What happened recently?" Lizzie inquired.

"We found spies. Fireflies who can check on them when the guards are distracted." He tilted his head to one side. "They can only do so much, though. They cannot bring medicine, nor can they help them escape. I'm afraid we do not know if they will be released."

"That's horrible…" Lizzie said.

"It's not the worst, though," Kent replied. "There have been murders, and many homes have been destroyed. My parents and sister were killed in the first round." He blinked rapidly and Lizzie squeezed his hand.

"Did you ever find Hazard?" She asked.

"No," Kent said, "We have tried, but it is difficult. They may have entered the Uncharted lands."

"They?"

"Yes, we believe that Mareth and his Flier were with them. They disappeared around that time, as well." Lizzie felt her heart slow with the grief. So much had changed.

"And Ripred…" Lizzie said casually, comfort emerging even with the sound of his name. "Where is he?"

"He roams," Kent replied, "Do not be concerned, though. The Dictator is much too afraid to challenge him. He is the only rebel who is not afraid to disclose it." He gave a slight glance in her direction, "I am hoping to take you to him, now. He may be able to help find your niece."

Lizzie's adrenaline wobbled at the combined idea. She would be seeing Ripred again. And he would help… she knew he would. She was just about to ask about Stellovet's position as a spy, when a Gnawer came hurtling from the distance. He was grey, with a few dustings of white upon his pelt.

"Kent! Kent! You're back!"

"I am," Kent agreed, smiling wryly.

"You bring the warrior?" he asked.

Kent shook his head, "I bring his sister, the code breaker."

"She will do," the Gnawer replied, apparently not noticing Lizzie's presence. "But Kent, we have to hurry! There's been another fire at the Fount!"

Kent paled. "Are…"

"They're fine," the Gnawer said immediately, "I had Gashlash carry them off when it started. They're heading for Regalia."

"Okay," Kent said uncertainly, "I suppose we should fo there now. Ripred's there?"

"Yes, and creating quite a commotion," the rat's whiskered lips moved in the essence of a smile, "I think you'll be impressed."

Kent smiled again, "Let us hope. Lizzie come along, it's time to see your old friend."

A/N: Please review!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed, I really appreciated it!

They raced at high speed, upon the Gnawer's back. Lizzie learned that his name was Splitnail, and that he was living under a combination of Kent and Ripred's protection.

He was nice, although he seemed to expect quite a lot from Lizzie. He kept dropping hints about her being the key to their troubles. "Stellovet's been quite an assistance," he said, panting a bit as he continued to run. "She finds out where he's going to attack next, so we can prevent it."

"What's his goal exactly?" Lizzie asked skeptically.

"No one knows," Kent said, his expression dazed, "All he seems to do is destroy."

Lizzie shivered. During the last war, the fight had been concrete. They'd wanted land and laws; if there was nothing to fight _for_, how where they supposed to win?

"You're sure they're fine?" Kent asked, his skin even paler than the normal Underlander.

"Yes," Splitnail said, "Really Kent, do not worry. They are being hidden in the high cabin."

"The high cabin?" Lizzie asked.

"Yes," Kent replied, "We built it, my father and I. The moment Howard was taken. It is a hidden room, above the palace."

"Above it?"

Kent nodded, a smile emerging on his. "It's quite clever actually." He didn't expand, and Lizzie was left to wonder about it.

"We hide those in grave danger there," Splitnail said.

"Your siblings are in grave danger?" Lizzie asked sympathetically.

"We all are," Kent replied, his face inscrutable.

They continued on, Lizzie's mind segmented into sections of worry, for her niece, for herself and for her new friend. She was beginning to remember why they had left the Underland, it made things too dangerous.

At last, they arrived in Regalia. Lizzie almost choked up at the sight of it, it felt like forever since she'd been there. But a closer look took her breath away.

The city was hardly the same as before. Buildings were decimated, with dents in their walls, and chips to their paint. There were bodies, actual _bodies_, in the street. Most seemed wounded, but a few… Lizzie felt her stomach churn. It was sickening.

Kent noticed her expression and grimaced at her. "Try not to look too much, I know it's hard."

She nodded, unable to pull her eyes away from it anyway. "Alright, climb off you two," Splitnail said, "I'll go around, through the tunnel. You two wait here for Stellovet." He gave a nod to Lizzie, "A pleasure to meet you, code breaker."

Lizzie smiled slightly, "You too…"

He scurried off then, disappearing through a tiny hole in the ground. "Where's he going?" Lizzie asked.

"High cabin," Kent said, lowering his voice to a nearly inaudible whisper. "He's going to tell them it's clear."

"And then what?" Lizzie asked.

Kent held up a finger. "Shh, she's coming I think." Lizzie held her breath, waiting. She could tell something was about to happen.

The door to the palace opened with an ominous creak, revealing a middle-aged woman. Her hair was curly, and her eyes were similar to Kent's. She seemed tired, her once good looks faded.

"Come with me please," her voice was solemn and devoid of emotion, but there was a flicker of something inside her irises.

"To the left," she said softly, her voice much more personal. They turned, and Lizzie nearly screamed. A piece of black cloth brushed over her face, and she found she couldn't see at all.

Kent quickly put his hand on her arm. "Continue walking, you will be in the passageway soon."

"Passageway?" Lizzie whispered, trying desperately to feel her way through the fabric.

"Shh," he whispered, "Yes. We will be able to talk soon, do not worry."

Lizzie closed her eyes, deciding it wouldn't make a difference, since she couldn't see either way. She put her hand out in front of her, and felt her way through.

Finally, she felt the fabric slip away from face, and she opened her eyes. It was a small, seemingly closed off, room. "What is this place?" Lizzie asked, "The high cabin?"

"No," Kent said, speaking at an ordinary volume, "But we are nearly there. This is where those who have only guessed of its existence will end up." Lizzie looked at him questioningly. "There have been rumors," he replied, "Guesses of our rebellion. But they have no proof, and we hope to keep it that way."

This sounded like good news, and so Lizzie smiled. "You have plans then? You're going to take him down?"

Stellovet came through the wall then, out of breath. Lizzie felt startled, especially when she burst into tears and fell into her brother's arms. Hadn't Stellovet been the overconfident, obnoxious girl who had made fun of Luxa? What had happened to her?

"Oh Kent," Stellovet whispered, "They – they almost caught me. I think," she gulped, "he made suggestions that he wants me to kill you and Chim." She began to sob, and hid her face in his shirt. "He doesn't trust me," she wailed, "And I've tried so hard."

Kent stroked her hair gently, his eyes were fixed sadly on her, "Do not worry, my sister, we will all be fine. I promise you.". She looked up and clasped his hands, the two communicating silently.

Lizzie felt uncomfortable, and began missing her own siblings. She wondered what they would do if they'd had to make a surprise visit to the Underland. Suddenly, she remembered that she and Lucy were supposed to getting ice cream, and a tidal wave of guilt swept over her. She remembered the days when Gregor and Boots disappeared; they were some of the most terrifying of her life.

While Stellovet regained her composure, Lizzie took the opportunity to look around the room. It was hardly bigger than a closet, she decided. There were no windows, and it didn't look as if there were any doors. She could not even recognize the spot from which they entered. It was very cleverly built.

At last, Stellovet turned to Lizzie, taking count of her existence for the first time. "I knew your brother," she said bluntly, her voice containing some of its old cockiness. "I thought he was supposed to come."

Lizzie's demeanor frosted over. She did not like people who didn't posses empathy. "Well, he's very sick, so I came to take his daughter back," she said coolly.

Stellovet's expression hardened icily, all evidence of her breakdown gone. "You might want to speak more nicely to me, if you would like her safe return."

Kent looked aghast, "You mean, he took him?" He shot a terrified look in Lizzie's direction, and Lizzie wondered how two siblings could be so different.

Stellovet looked unconcerned, "I assume so. Why, you believe differently?"

Kent nodded. "I thought… our people might try to lure him."

"It's a possibility," Stellovet said, "Desperation can make people react… cruelly." Lizzie did not like the way she looked at her.

"Up, now?" Kent asked, his arm around Stellovet's shoulders. The two women nodded. "Alright then. Lizzie, would you like to do the honors?"

"What do I do?" Lizzie asked.

"Push up on the ceiling," Kent replied. Lizzie did so, tentatively, and gasped in surprise as they began soaring through the air.

"Lizzie, this is Evander," Kent said, in response to Lizzie's shock.

"Hello," the Flier greeted her warmly.

"How?" Lizzie asked, her stomach still sitting on the floor of the between-room.

Kent's grin was enormous. "A bit hard to explain. It's fantastic though, isn't it?" His smile was infectious, and Lizzie found herself beaming back at him. She liked flying a whole lot more than she did when she was younger. Stellovet even seemed cheered up by the flight.

Not two minutes later, they slowed to stop, resting against what appeared to be tower. "Where are we?" Lizzie asked.

"Inside the palace," Kent said, helping her off of Evander, "Welcome to the high cabin."

Stellovet demounted like a pro, and began climbing the ladder. "Excellent job, Evan," Kent said, stroking the Flier's pelt, "Ripred should be here soon, alright?" Lizzie's heart soared at the mention of his name.

"Alright, Kent," Evander said, his voice a low hum, "I'll be back soon."

"Would you like help with the climbing?" Kent offered kindly.

Lizzie glanced up at the thin rope, wondering if she'd ever done anything close to that athletic. "… I can try on my own," she said doubtfully, carefully placing her hand on the first knothole.

Kent nodded. "Let me know if you would like assistance."

"Thanks," she replied, hesitantly shimmying up a couple of steps. It wasn't too bad, actually.

She made it up at last, having only needed to be helped twice. Stellovet was already inside however, and Lizzie felt slightly badly for making Kent wait.

"Oh that's alright," he said, n response to her apologies, "This way I can have Chim all to myself by the time I get inside." Lizzie smiled, deciding that he reminded her quite a bit of Howard after all.

"Kent!" A woman exclaimed, flinging herself at him. "Oh, thank you!" She breathed, holding him tightly. "I was so worried."

"_You_ were so worried?" Kent whispered, not relinquishing his grip on her. "What if something had happened to you, Chim?"

"But it didn't," Chim said, drawing back and placing her hands on his face, "We all live to see another day."

They broke apart at last, and two small children waddled over to Kent. Neither looked older than four years old. "Lizzie," Kent said, "I'd like you to meet my sister Chim, and my niece Diana and nephew Cassio."

Lizzie did her best to smile at them. "Hi," she said at last, giving a small wave.

Chim smiled back, looking at her kindly. "Hello Lizzie, I am sorry about your niece. I heard from Splitnail. Do not worry, we will find her."

Lizzie glanced at the floor, unable to respond. "Thank you," she said at last, "Thank you very much."

"Where are they?" Kent asked, "Splitnail and Gashlash? And Brandon."

Chim paled. "Brandon stayed to help. He said he wanted to save as many people as he could. But Kent – I'm afraid." She glanced nervously at her children, but they were sitting unaware in Stellovet's lap.

Kent drew his sister close, "He will be fine. You have lost too many already, you will not lose another." She closed her eyes, and Kent kissed her forehead.

"Where are Splitnail and Gashlash?" he asked again, after a few minutes had passed.

She gave a shaky sigh. "They left to bring up Ripred."

Kent cleared his throat. "What is it he's been doing, Splitnail said he was causing a commotion."

"I know as much as you. We will hear when he arrives," Chim answered.

As if on cue, a familiar voice called out from behind them. "Well, well, look who's here."


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed, I really appreciate it!

It felt as if there were a break in time, as Lizzie slowly turned around. She wanted to see his face so badly, and yet was afraid to, wondering what it might do to her. It had been so long, and it was only in her late teens that she had learned to suppress missing him.

The others stayed respectfully silent, evidently knowing plenty about how close the two had been. After much stalling, Lizzie forced herself to look.

He was the same Ripred. Thinner fur perhaps, and shorter whiskers, but otherwise the same as he had always been. She stared for a moment, soaking in the vision of her friend. His expression matched hers nearly completely, except for the slight presence of a smirk. At last the staring broke, and Lizzie threw her arms around him.

Tears dripped from her eyes as she allowed the years to leave her, returning to the way she had once been; a scared, shy girl in need of protection. It had been her experiences, in addition to maturity, that had strengthened her. And now that everything was wrong, she wanted desperately not to be the one in charge.

"She's gone, Ripred," Lizzie sniffed, wishing she could have happier words for him," Gregor's daughter, they took her." She hid her face in his fur, tuning out the rest of the world.

"I'm going to take Lizzie down for a walk," Ripred announced, "We'll be back in a little while." Lizzie felt his tail push her onto his back, and she gratefully lay across him as they set off. It had been a long time since she wasn't the one in control.

"What happened?" Ripred asked her, after they'd been traveling for a few minutes.

Lizzie sat up, rubbing her eyes. She recognized their location was being the tunnels beneath the nursery. "I made the mistake of brining Lucy to the playground." She was crying again. "It was so stupid. I made the same mistake Gregor did."

"Don't say that, Lizzie," Ripred said, "They wanted her, they would have taken her no matter what you did."

This only made her sadder though, and Ripred quickly tried to console her. "You'll get her back, don't worry. They won't have hurt her."

"Who took her though?" Lizzie asked, her voice wobbling.

"Hard to say," Ripred said grimly, "There's a group of humans and nibblers out there, though. They've gone wild, and they'll do almost anything to change things. Or it could be another group of rebellions, I don't know. But don't you worry Lizzie, we'll get her back." He sounded so incredibly sure, that Lizzie almost allowed herself to cheer up. Ripred was invincible; he could do anything he set his mind to.

"Now," he stopped walking then, twisting himself around so Lizzie was curled in his fur. "Tell me what your life's been like for the last couple of decades."

She leaned the side of her face against him, trying to think of the highlights. "My parents died," she said bluntly, "Mom a couple of years after we left, and Dad the first year of Margret's college."

"Margret?"

Lizzie smiled slightly. "Boots to you, I guess. Yeah, her first college year." She paused, lowering her voice, "It almost destroyed her."

"What about you and Gregor?" His tail went up to her shoulders, curving around them.

"Us too, I guess. But… she's the baby of the family, it was worst for her."

"You're very brave," Ripred said softly, as if she was still small, "I have so much respect for you."

Lizzie's eyes filled again, and she managed to blubber, "Thank you."

"You can just sit if you want," Ripred said, "We don't have to talk yet."

Lizzie silently complied, weeping against his pelt. She wondered vaguely how they'd managed to keep the place beneath the nursery safe, surely it would be coveted by the opposition. When she had composed herself, she whispered, "Gregor's really sick, Ripred. He's depressed, and he's not functioning well, and I don't know what to do." She took a deep breath, deciding to tell him the whole truth. "He wanted me to come here. With Margie and his kids. He wanted us to find a cure." She looked up at him. "I was supposed to come anyway, Ripred, but not like this."

Ripred gave the closest thing to a sigh and said, "You know, I'm surprised that there _aren't_ prophecies for this. It's all too coincidental." He nuzzled her head, "We'll get through it though, you and me. I'll make sure that we get your niece back."

"Thank you," Lizzie said softly. "Are Howard and Luxa okay?"

There was a long pause, and then he said, "There's no way of knowing. Same with Hazard and the who've gone, there's no way for us to tell what's happened."

"The fliers couldn't circulate the air?"

"No," Ripred replied, "Everything's being monitored. They'll be put down if they're not on his side."

Lizzie snuggled against him for warmth. "It's really dangerous, isn't it?"

"Yes," Ripred answered honestly, "Do you remember Nerissa?"

Lizzie nodded. She'd thought she was sweet.

"She was murdered, for knowing too much," Ripred said, "Almost right after he took the kingdom."

Lizzie felt a rush of sadness; Nerissa certainly did not deserve to be killed. "Kent told me about his family…" she said, "That's really horrible."

"It is," Ripred agreed, "Many horrible things have happened here. I was hoping you could help me fix them." He rested his nose on her shoulder.

"I'll try," Lizzie squeaked, wondering what she could possibly do.

"I'm glad," Ripred said. Lizzie could feel him smiling at her. "Then why don't we go, and I can show you what I've done to Regalia."

A/N: Hope you liked it! : )


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed, I really appreciate it!

"I'm married," Lizzie said quietly, delicately touching her wedding ring.

"Really?" Ripred replied. They were traveling back up to Regalia, Ripred having given Lizzie specific instructions to lie flat.

"Yeah," she replied, "I met him in college. He's the most wonderful man in the world." She smiled, feeling a slight pang at the thought of her family.

"Any children?" Ripred asked, his vast amount of curiosity evident in his tone.

"A daughter. Angela, but we call her Angel for short," Lizzie replied.

"That's nice," Ripred said, "Alright, Lizzie. Quiet now; you can tell me more later. We don't want to attract too much attention." Lizzie obeyed, lying still and silent against his back. She figured she must look dead, and wondered if that was the intent.

They walked further, and she could occasionally feel vibrations as Ripred sniffed things. "Alright," he said finally, "No one's around. You can look."

She sat up, gasping at the sight of the city's core. Every building, whether it was residential or businesslike, was covered in rope, a thick, woven rope.

"What's that made of?" Lizzie replied, her interest slightly overwhelming her amazement.

"You don't want to know," Ripred replied, "But look." He stuck up a claw at one of the buildings. "They can't get in now. No teeth or tools are strong enough to tear the material."

"Wow," Lizzie replied, still impressed by Ripred's ingenuity. She laughed slightly, thinking to herself. "What does this accomplish, though?"

"Don't you see?" he said. "When they can't get home, they'll gather in the square. It's a lot easier to kill creatures that are all distracted, in a group."

Finding this both repulsive and factually mistaken, Lizzie's jaw dropped in horror. "Kill them?"

He looked her dead in the eye. "We can't go easy on them, Lizzie. If we don't kill them, they'll kill us."

Lizzie processed it for a split second. "I want to go find my niece, now."

Ripred nodding. "I thought you might say that. Alright. Let's go to Hades Hall."

"Hades Hall?" She'd never heard of it, as Gregor hadn't been so specific about the places from his journey.

Ripred nodded. "It's far underground. Way under the Dictator's access, I should think."

"But why are we going there?"

Ripred smiled. "What would be better for holding secret rebellion meetings?"

"I see what you mean."

"Hold tight, okay?" Ripred said, "I want to race back to the high cabin, first. See if Gashlash and Kent want to come. They're handy in a crisis."

"Okay," Lizzie said. She liked Kent, and appreciated all he'd done for her.

"Let's go." He bounded off, and Lizzie finally noticed how empty the city was.

"Where is everyone?" she asked.

"Well, let's see," he answered, panting as he ran and spoke at the same time. "His followers are probably with him, somewhere in the palace. They are most of the time. You see, he offers them refuge in exchange for… joining him. Some people are probably picking their relatives out of the fire; you heard about that right?" Lizzie nodded. "And some are hiding, or running. Or in their homes."

"But why did you tie up all of the houses?" Lizzie asked. "And why do you want to kill _everyone_?"

Ripred sighed. "It's not so simple. Most Regalians… they're ambiguous with their loyalties. It's hard not to be, though. If he knows you're against him, he goes against you till you die. It's one of the things that makes him so terrifying."

"Yeah…" Lizzie said, feeling the black fabric of the tunnel brush against her face.

"You'll notice there aren't many Fliers," Ripred said, pausing once in the in-between room. "Well, that's because he's killed a lot of them. It was one of his first moves, after the original imprisonments. Without them, it's a lot harder for the humans to get around."

"But they're not all gone, are they?" Lizzie said, her voice inflected with sadness. She'd loved the Fliers.

"No, not all," Ripred replied, "Some have escaped. Some have joined him in the hopes of survival. I'm sure you've heard that Nike and Aurora are imprisoned too?"

"I did," Lizzie said softly. She found the whole idea awful. She fumbled with herself, desperately wanting to express her deep dismay at the entire situation. "I can't believe," she said at last, hoping it would suffice.

Ripred nodded, his usually inscrutable expression etched with sadness. "I know. I still can't, either."

They were soon on Evander's back, Ripred shouting apologies for his weight over the rushing sounds. They arrived back to the high cabin, finding that Stellovet was gone, and a man with a burn across his cheek had replaced her.

"Brandon," Ripred greeted, nodding, "Good man. How was it?"

He shook his head, looking upset. "I got Helen and her children out, but that was it. I think their Fliers may have perished." Kent, Chim and the Gnawers all looked saddened, while their children played obliviously on the floor.

"You did the best you could," Ripred said quickly. "Listen, we're going to Hades Hall, alright? So if you want to come, now's the time." Chim and Brandon both shook their heads, pulling their children near to them. Kent reluctantly agreed, pulling a sheathed sword over his neck. Lizzie wondered where it came from.

Splitnail and Gashlash looked hesitant. "I don't know, Ripred," Splitnail said, "What good will it do?"

"What kind of attitude is that?" Ripred asked, glaring. "How's anything going to change if we don't try?" Splitnail looked ashamed, but did not sway his view.

Gashlash slowly nodded. "I'll come." He gave Ripred a scrutinizing look . "We shouldn't go by ourselves, though. Only four of us?"

Lizzie heard herself interrupt before she could stop herself. "Who's going to be there again?"

"The rebellions," Gashlash and Ripred said together.

"Like I've told you," Ripred said, "They're not his side, they're the exact opposite actually."

"But they're dangerous?"

"They're angry," Ripred said, by way of explanation, "And they'll hurt anyone who they think is a danger to them."

"We're a danger to them?" Lizzie asked, surprised.

"No," Ripred replied, "But we're not so malicious. We used intelligence, rather than endless violence. And we have ends to our means." It sounded ominous, and Lizzie felt her skin prickles.

"Are you ready, then?" Ripred asked.

Gashlash and Kent both nodded, their expressions grave and set. Chim leaned forward, hugging her brother tightly. "I will see you soon, I know it."

Kent nodded, looking positively miserable. "I hope so, sister."

He stood then, stiffening and climbing onto Gashlash's back. "I am ready."

"Then let us go," Ripred said.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Thanks so much to the people who reviewed; you guys really keep me motivated!

Lizzie was reminded at once of Gregor's stories about quests. It seemed like plain traveling, but she knew that at any moment something could happen.

"We don't quite have the luxury that your brother did," Ripred said, as if reading her thoughts. "Food's so scarce that we don't have any to bring." He glanced between her and Kent, "I hope you'll be okay."

"I'm fine," Lizzie said. "I'm sure we'll be fine."

"And with no prophecies to guide us," Ripred continued, "We're pretty much just go off my instinct."

"It's been right before," Kent said quietly. He looked so incredibly distraught, that Lizzie felt herself wanting to comfort him. She had no idea what to say to him, though. Besides their similarly destroyed families, they had nothing in common.

"You're sister's okay?" She asked, at last.

"Neither of them are, really," he replied. "But yes, at least Chim wasn't hurt." He tried smiling. "I suppose that's as much as any of us can hope for, these days."

After a few hours of traveling, Lizzie learned more about both Kent and Gashlash. Kent had become close to Luxa, over the years, which is why it had been so horrible when she'd been taken. He told Lizzie that he'd become ashamed of Stellovet's negative relationship with her, and that he'd been trying to reconcile the two when Luxa had been imprisoned.

"She never got over it," he said, "She always feels guilty."

Lizzie frowned slightly. This didn't match so much with the stories that Gregor had told her, although she supposed that people could change. But even today… Stellovet hadn't seemed like the friendliest person in the world.

"It's why she's so miserable," Kent added. "She's always guilty and tired and afraid. I've done everything I can to help her, but there's only so much one can do." He looked sad, and Lizzie tried to keep him talking.

"She's your big sister, right?"

"Yes, although such things matter less now. The three of us depend on one another, regardless of birth order."

"That sounds like my family," Lizzie said. The two smiled at one another, understanding their connection. They really were in similar predicaments.

Gashlash seemed a bit odd, especially for a Gnawer. He was quiet and polite, although Lizzie was under the impression that he was a bit secretive. He rarely spoke, and when he did it was only in response to another's question.

Ripred often paid him indirect compliments, and Lizzie wondered if he was trying to raise the rat's self esteem. "He's the fastest Gnawer you'll find," Ripred said, evidently to Kent and Lizzie. "Can outrun nearly anything, even a shiner or nibbler."

"Nibblers are fast?" Lizzie mused. She felt stupid after saying it, realizing how fast mice could scurry.

"They are," Ripred said. "We're lucky to have so many of them on our side."

"Oh, well that's good, isn't it?" Lizzie replied. "I thought you didn't have a majority of any species."

"He doesn't like the Nibblers," Kent said, "He's trying to strip them of their rights."

"Why?" Lizzie asked.

"Because unlike Gnawers or humans or Fliers, they can't offer him anything," Ripred answered. "He doesn't value creatures without intelligence or strength."

"Gregor told me what happened to the Nibblers," Lizzie said, after a few minutes had passed, "You were there, weren't you?" She stroked Ripred's pelt.

"I was," he said, his voice a low rumble. "It was one of the cruelest things that I've ever set my eyes on."

"My brother had nightmares about it," Kent said. "He never told me directly, but I knew. He's always had a big heart."

"I remember Gregor saying that," Lizzie said, "He really respected him."

"I'm glad," Kent said softly, staring down at Gashlash's back. "We all did."

Lizzie squirmed. They must have been through something horrible if they were all so willing to except that nothing would improve. She wished that she could give them back their hope.

"Wait," Ripred said, his nose suddenly twitching, "I hear something."

Lizzie hunched over instinctively, making herself less visible.

"I can't tell who it is," Ripred continued, "Sounds like wings."

"We better move faster," Gashlash said darkly.

"The Fliers are that bad, huh?" Lizzie mused sadly.

"They must be," Kent replied, grabbing fast to Gashlash's fur as they sped off, "Otherwise they will not survive."

"Besides, I don't know that it's Fliers," Ripred said, "Could be spy Shiners, or regular Shiners at that."

"There are spy Shiners?" Lizzie asked.

"Yes," Kent said, "They work for him if he promises them food."

"Then how do you know that the Shiners working for you aren't also working for him?"

"We don't," Ripred replied. Lizzie stared into the blurring scenery, as they fled by countless images. They couldn't trust anyone, but they took the risk because they had no better choice. It sounded like an awful omen.

"If you look to you're right," Ripred said, quietly, "You'll see some of his handiwork."

"The Dictator's?"

"Yeah. A bunch of humans and their bonds moved out here, only so they could live peacefully. They weren't doing any harm, or anything."

"What happened?" Lizzie asked, the answer already in her ears.

"He found out about it, and slaughtered them."

Lizzie thought it over for a moment. It seemed as if the Dictator merely enjoyed killing creatures that were not obediently under his rule.

"Ripred!" Gashlash shouted, suddenly. He jumped backwards, and Kent nearly fell off of him.

Ripred swerved over, leaving Lizzie squished between his body and the ground. He pushed her out of the way just in time, before heavy rock came falling from the ceiling.


	11. Chapter 11

For a terrible moment, Lizzie thought that Ripred was fatally wounded. He lay on the ground, still and silent, before roaring and pouncing back in their direction.

"That hurt," he murmured, stretching out his back muscles. "Alright, let's go. They're above us, we can catch them if we try."

"Catch who?" Lizzie asked, already remounting. She could tell that he meant business.

"Not sure. We should probably see who it is first," Ripred said.

"Good suggestion," Lizzie said, her rare sarcasm making its appearance. She hated how callous everyone was being.

Kent seemed to realize this, and looked at her sympathetically. "It is the only way, Lizzie. These people, they may be the ones who took your niece. You will not know until we have them."

Lizzie felt her muscles tense uncomfortably. Morals seemed to fall second in line to personal safety. She understood, but it made her sad nonetheless. "Fine, let's go."

"As you wish," Ripred replied. Both Gnawers raced, at breakneck speed, up and out of the cave-like structure. Before Lizzie knew it, they were inside some sort of dark tunnel.

"The diggers helped make these," Ripred said. "They're very crafty when they want to be."

"Are more of them on our side?" Lizzie asked.

"Hard to say," Ripred replied. "These were built for us, though. I know that much."

A few claustrophobic minutes later, they were in a dimly lit room. It seemed to be an actual room, lined with walls and filled with furniture.

"They're gone," Ripred stated. He muttered something under his breath, which Lizzie assumed was an Underland curse. "Well, I suppose we'll just have to follow them."

"What about Hades Hall?" Lizzie asked.

"Oh, I'm sure we'll end up there. Everyone goes to Hades Hall, eventually. But take what you can from here. There might be food, and we want to have as much at our disposal as we can."

Kent and Lizzie stuffed bits of bread and other dishes into their pouches. Everything was cold, and it made Lizzie wonder how long the group had been there. Had they been waiting, hoping that she would come? Or Ripred, or Kent and Gashlash? Did they only want to hurt them?

She locked her legs tightly around Ripred's body; they would not be parted, if she could help it.

The trip was just as fast as ever, leaving it hard to have many conversations. Things were quiet, mostly, and Lizzie wondered if it had been like this for Gregor. He'd always described quests as being adventurous and full of action, never as quiet walks round and round. She wondered if they'd ever get anywhere.

"Footprints," Gashlash remarked, darkly. "Looks like humans. Fliers and Shiners could be around too, I do not know."

Ripred gave an exaggerated sigh. "All right, well, maybe they won't be armed." He laughed at his own joke. "I can hope, can't I?"

"So humans are the most dangerous?" Lizzie's question asking had become a tendency over the last decade or so. It was a nice alternative to panic attacks, and solved her nerves with productiveness. However, in the Underland, the questions were never ending.

"I'd say so," Ripred replied. "They're evil or they're angry, mostly. We've been very fortunate to find the ones, like Kent's family, who have managed to stay sane."

Kent gave a tentative smile. "We do what we can."

"Everybody quiet," Ripred announced, several moments later. "I hear them. We must have caught up. Weapons ready."

"Weapons?" Lizzie said, incredulously. "I don't have –"

Kent handed her a spear. "Just in case. It may not be of need."

Lizzie's hand shook as she held it up.

"Charge," Ripred said quietly.

They did so, thumping along the gravelly path until a small group of humans were in sight. Lizzie did not know what she'd been expecting, but this certainly wasn't it.

They seemed like ordinary Underlanders. There appearance was a little pale and tweedy, perhaps, but certainly not bloodthirsty.

She assumed that Ripred hadn't expected them either, for he paused a sizeable number of yards behind them, and signaled for Gashlash to do the same. "I don't recognize them, do you?'

"No," Kent said. "They might be rebels. Or his followers, I do not know."

"No fliers," Ripred mused. "Well, alright. We'll let them go a little further. I don't really feel like fighting with the rebels, it takes a lot of energy."

"And if they're his people?" Kent asked.

"We run," Ripred replied. "But I don't think they are. He's not stupid, he'd send better people than them."

"I suppose," Kent said. He looked doubtful. "Should we go the other way?"

"No, no, let's stay here for the night. We can sleep."

"Sleep?" Lizzie felt upset. She wanted to get to Hades Hall.

"Or you two sleep, we'll carry you. You'll need to be awake when we get there."

They went further through the caves and tunnels, Lizzie allowing herself sleep. If Ripred said it would be important, she believed him.

She was awoken hours later by Ripred's voice, talking quietly to Gashlash.

"What's going on?" she asked softly, sitting up.

"It's the rebels," Ripred said. "They haven't done much yet, other than be disorganized. We can listen, once they start. Get Kent up, would you?"

Lizzie shook Kent awake, briefing him on how they were waiting for the rebels to begin their meeting. Then, still tired, she settled her head atop of Ripred's.

"Order!" They heard a man shout, somewhere from the heart of the crowd.

"You're sure we can't be seen?" Lizzie inquired, anxiously squirming in her seat.

"Yes," Ripred replied, "The idiots are too distracted to notice us."

"Now," the man continued, his voice fully audible as the crowd quieted down. "Today we are discussing the fate of the little girl."

"You got her?" somebody shouted.

"Yes," the man replied. "The Warrior's daughter is in the Underland."

Lizzie felt her muscles grow numb. She stumbled off of Ripred's back, walking towards the crowd. Secrecy no longer mattered, she wanted answers.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Thanks so much to my awesome reviewers; you guys make my day!

"What are you doing?" Ripred hissed. He tried to pull her back with his tail, but it was too late. They'd seen her.

Heads swiveled, eyes widened, people stepped towards her. Lizzie's sudden adrenaline left her, and she was filled with fear. She tried to open her mouth and ask about Lucy, but found she couldn't speak. The faces in front of her – they did not look all that willing to help.

For a moment, she was truly frozen. She understood what slow motion _felt _like. Her original purpose disappeared. There were no thoughts about finding answers on Lucy's whereabouts, only fear. And then time began again.

She narrowly dodged swords being thrust at her, and scrambled onto Ripred's back. Impulsiveness. She'd always thought it was her siblings' weakness, not hers. Gregor and Margaret, they acted on every feeling that came their way; she was the calm, sensible one.

The rats set off at their fastest pace yet, with Lizzie and Kent clinging desperately to their backs. "I'm sorry," Lizzie whispered to Ripred, suddenly guilty and sorrowful. She knew what she'd done. The game was up; they knew that the warrior's sister was in the Underland.

He didn't answer her, and she knew he was upset. She lay helplessly across his back as they forged on. There was nothing for her to do now; it was clear that she wasn't going to get any answers tonight.

At least an hour later, they stopped. Ripred and Gashlash were both panting, lying on their backs by a nearby stream. Lizzie crawled over to the waterside, and closed her eyes. She was ashamed, more than anything. She had jeopardized _everything_ and achieved nothing. They were all in danger, thanks to her.

For a while, no one spoke. Then she felt a tentative hand on her shoulder.

"Lizzie?" It was Kent, his lavender eyes shining with sympathy.

She tried to smile and failed, only giving him a shrug in response.

"Do not feel badly. I would have done the same, had it been my niece."

Would he though? She couldn't help but feel that he was only making her feel better. No true Underlander would be so stupid; they were too used to such things.

"Thanks," she murmured, unable to look at him.

"Truly," he repeated, sitting beside her. "Do not feel badly. You have not done anything wrong."

She felt a little better, then. Not that she believed him, exactly, but for the first time she felt like they were really friends. They'd stand by each other, and she felt immeasurable gratitude for this.

"Thank you," she said again. This time she looked at him, and they both smiled.

"Are you two ready?" Ripred asked. He looked stern, although not angry. Lizzie hadn't noticed him approaching. Gashlash was beside him, although he was silent, as always.

She climbed onto him, wanting to apologize. She couldn't though; it was too embarrassing, and she couldn't bring herself to find the words.

"We'll find her." He said it so quietly, that she almost thought she hadn't heard right. "We'll find her," he repeated. "But I have to ask, that you not get us killed just yet." He looked up at her, and she could see that he was smiling. She breathed, knowing that they were okay.

"Alright," Ripred said. They were still walking, but at a slower pace. "Let's see if we can't use this to our advantage."

No one answered him, and so he continued unprompted. "They know Lizzie's here, right? And they're going to try to rope her in as ransom to the Dictator, or as their own weapon, right?"

Ransom. This idea hadn't occurred to Lizzie, and it frightened her. They would sell her to the other side, as price for their own freedom. Or they would use her to commit unimaginable crimes. Either way, she couldn't help but fear for her life.

"And I think that they're going to bait her with Lucy."

Lizzie looked at the other two, almost seeing them processing this. It was logical, however disturbing a prospect it was.

"So we can use that," Ripred continued. "We can find out where she really is, and get her back. Then they won't have anything to trap you with." He turned his head to Lizzie, and she nodded. She was their greatest hindrance, and she knew it. If she got too emotional about it, they could convince her of anything. Her awareness didn't do a thing to stop herself.

"Okay," Lizzie murmured. She wasn't sure why she'd said it, maybe to reassure herself. "What – what are we doing now?"

"We're going to rest," Ripred replied. "It's been a long day."

Lizzie wasn't the slightest bit tired, but she agreed happily anyway. She knew the Gnawers must have been exhausted. They traveled on a bit further, and then Ripred and Gashlash swiftly lay down and fell asleep. Lizzie could practically see Ripred's eyes trembling to reopen; he was the lightest sleeper she'd ever met.

Kent did not seem tired either. He sat a few feet away from Lizzie, staring blankly at the tunnel's wall. Eventually, Lizzie padded over to him. If they weren't going to sleep, they might as well talk.

"What are we trying to do?" The question had been lingering on the tip of her mind, waiting to be ask. It was the oddest problem of all.

He looked at her, seemingly surprised. "Excuse me?"

"What are we trying to do?" she asked again. She wasn't sure how else to phrase it.

"With the Dictator?" he asked.

She nodded, and he sighed wearily. "Sometimes I am not sure. I think, we are trying to survive." It was sad, but it was the most honest thing anyone had said to her thus far.

"I think so too," she said quietly.

He looked at her then, having the same realization she'd had earlier. They were not so different, really. They both had families to protect, lives to save. Underlander, Overlander; their identities did not matter. They were friends.

"Tell me about your family," Lizzie said.

"What would you like to know?"

"Anything," Lizzie said, "Do you have children?"

"No," he said, "I have not met anyone to love, yet. It is too difficult."

She nodded. He'd been through a lot, and she felt immense sympathy for him. Losing your twin… she couldn't even imagine it.

"I understand about your parents," she said. It was a gutsy thing to say for her, and she was proud of herself. He deserved to know that he wasn't alone. "Mine are gone too."

"Are they?" His voice was warm, and embraced his compassion, allowing it to push her forward. She felt comfortable telling him the story.

"Yeah. Disease, both of them." She didn't say that they never would have died, had it not been for the Underland.

"I am sorry."

Lizzie only nodded; she was tired of saying 'thank you'. "I'm sorry about yours."

There were a few moments of sad silence, but somehow they move passed them. They talked further about their lives, and Lizzie told him about her family. It was nice, to find the solace of friendship in such a chaotic world.

A/N: Thanks for reading! Pretty please review, reviews are great motivators!


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Thanks so much to my reviewers! You guys are awesome!

When Lizzie finally fell asleep, she was plagued by dreams. Most of them were seemingly meaningless, containing warped images of her friends and family. As the hours wore on, though, they became darker and clearer.

Images of Gnawers with human heads soared by, each one trying to trample her. She hadn't had nightmares for many years, and had forgotten how disturbing they could be. However, it was only when she saw Lucy's corpse that she awoke in a cold sweat.

She'd never sleep again, she realized. Not until her family was safe in the Overland.

"You're awake," Gashlash said.

She turned, surprised. He hadn't spoken to her at all yet.

"Yeah," she murmured, rubbing a hand through her drenched hair. "I'm awake."

"Are you alright?" he asked, an eyebrow cocked suspiciously at her.

"Fine," she replied, "Just… dreaming."

"About your niece?"

She felt her stomach clench, uncertain as to what she wanted to tell him. At last, she nodded.

"Do not worry," he said, "We will find her, Overlander."

"Th – thank you," she said, smiling at him. He was friendly, she decided. Maybe he was just shy, like she was, and that was why he didn't speak much.

"Overlander," he began.

"Lizzie," she corrected him, still smiling.

"Lizzie," he said, nodding, "I was wondering if I might speak to you."

"Of course," she replied. She scooted nearer to him, sitting with her legs crossed.

"It is about Ripred," he said. He glanced around anxiously, as if looking for peeping eyes. Kent and Ripred were both asleep, though.

"What?" Lizzie asked. "Is he okay?"

"I do not know, Lizzie," Gashlash said. He leaned forward, his whiskers brushing the ground. Lizzie was confused, but then realized that he was trying to whisper something to her. "I think he may be a spy."

"What?" She nearly shouted, and Gashlash shushed her hurriedly.

"Overlander!" he said. "Please, they cannot awake now."

"A spy?" Lizzie asked, incredulously. "How's that even possible?"

Gashlash shook his head. "I am uncertain. Please understand, Ripred is one of my oldest friends. This hurts me as much as it hurts you."

Lizzie shook her head. She wouldn't believe him; she _didn't_ believe him. "I don't believe you," she said bluntly, frowning. Her previous like for Gashlash was gone.

"I understand," he said, quietly. "I am not positive, you must know. I only suspect."

"But _why_?" Lizzie asked. "He's helped so much."

"Has he?" Gashlash asked. "He has led us in circles, we have not gotten anywhere. And how do you think he has been living unharmed, a rebel in the center of Regalia?"

"Well, he's _Ripred_," Lizzie said. "That's how."

"Perhaps," Gashlash agreed. "But it seems unlikely. It would be too difficult, if he did not have assistance."

Lizzie sat beside him, floored. He had managed to plant the smallest grain of doubt in her mind. But no… she loved Ripred. She trusted him, and she would let him hold control of her life if the situation called for it. He would never betray her.

"Lizzie," Gashlash said again, "I fear that we will not find your niece, while under Ripred's instruction."

Lizzie felt rage soar inside of her. "No," she said quietly, sternly. "My niece also happens to be Gregor's daughter. Ripred loved Gregor."

Gashlash nodded. "Yes. But such things are of little consequence, in these times. Your brother is not here."

Lizzie shook her head, unwilling to discuss it anymore. All Gashlash had done was make her suspicious of _him._

"You do not believe me," Gashlash said. "Alright, I did not expect you to. We can sit blindly as Ripred reveals the cabin's location to the Dictator. Then, we will feel the guilt as he kills the remainder of Kent's family."

"Kills them?" Lizzie asked. She didn't understand.

"When he exposes the location of the cabin, they will be killed, surely. The Dictator does not want them alive."

Lizzie thought it over. She would never mistrust Ripred, just like she would never tell him about this ridiculous conversation; but something about Gashlash's words scared her. She didn't like the idea of anyone else dying. If they'd found Lucy, she knew herself – she'd run.

"I'm waking them up," Lizzie said, standing. "We can set off for the day." She gave Gashlash a final glare before standing, and going to wake Kent.

"Did you sleep okay?" she asked him.

"Yes, Lizzie," Kent said, smiling. "Thank you."

"I'm going to wake up Ripred," she announced to him.

She took her time, going to wake the rat. Suddenly, she was afraid.

"Ripred," she said softly, rubbing a hand on his fur. "Wake up." He rolled over, giving a massive yawn.

"It's time to go," Lizzie said.

"Go where?" Ripred asked sleepily, scratching at his pelt with his claws.

"To find Lucy," Lizzie said, her voice trembling slightly. "I want to find her today."

"Today?" Ripred looked at her, his eyes sympathetic. "We can try, Lizzie. But I still do not know where she is."

"But you guessed, right?" she asked, hopefully. "The rebels have her, and you know where they meet?"

Their eyes met, and for a second Lizzie wondered if he _would_ betray her. He was Ripred, he shouldn't have been so uncertain about how to go about finding a little girl.

"Lizzie," he said. "We will try as best as we can."

"Okay…" Lizzie said, hesitating. "And then we'll go set Luxa and Howard free, right?"

Ripred smiled. "What happened to you? You have become very excited."

"I had dreams," Lizzie said. It was not a lie, in fact.

"Oh. Well, as I said, we will do our best today. Perhaps if we find Lucy… we can go to the prison next."

"That's what I was thinking," Lizzie said. She relaxed, ashamed of herself for ever doubting Ripred. He was her friend; he was her protector.

"Let us go," Ripred shouted, to the other two. "The code-breaker grows restless.

A/N: That's it for now! I hope you enjoyed the twist! Please, please review!


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! I was away for a while, which is why it took me so long to update. Sorry about that.

"We are going to the entrance of the uncharted lands," Ripred announced, after they had been traveling for a few hours.

"What?" Lizzie said, surprised. This was news to her.

Ripred shook his head. "I didn't think of it before, which is too bad. They're not so uncharted anymore, ever since the Dictator." His eyes flickered, landing on each of them in turn. He cleared his throat, eyes set again on the road. "They'd keep her there." He turned again, appearing almost fidgety. "Doesn't it seem like it, logically?"

Kent gave a slow nod. His eyes were bleary with exhaustion, and he seemed fairly unresponsive. Gashlash merely looked over at Lizzie.

Lizzie, she was uncertain. All of a sudden, she trusted no one. For all she knew, they could all be lying, tricking her into a fate of certain doom. She hated that Gashlash had made her feel this way; her ability to trust had always been one of her proudest attributes.

She realized, after a few moments had passed, that they were waiting for her approval. "Alright," she said, "Let's go."

Her fingers shook as she clung onto Ripred's back. They had waited for her to give the okay; they had left the decision up to her. In the real world, it was not so hard to be decisive. She had never been good at it anyway, but at least her choices were not quite so pattered with implications. The last time she was in the Underland, she was not responsible. She did as she was told, and she looked up to her big brother. This time she was on her own.

"Understand, Lizzie," Ripred spoke, his voice silky, "I cannot be sure of anything. We are trying our best."

"What_ are_ you sure of?" Lizzie asked. She straightened her back, doing her best to regulate her breathing.

"Things are gray right now," Ripred said. "There are the good, and there are the bad, but it's all blending together."

"Right…" Lizzie said. It wasn't an answer, but she understood him. She snuggled against his back, avoiding Gashlash's gaze. He was staring at her.

"How long will it be?" Lizzie asked. "The journey, I mean."

"Couple more hours and we'll need to rest," Ripred said. "Shouldn't be too long, though. It's the one benefit about all this; the passage ways are hardly crowded." He stopped speaking, but Lizzie could sense that he wanted to say something else. "It's because of those who've died, you know. The Underland population is decreasing; it's less than half of what it used to be."

"Oh," Lizzie breathed, suddenly choking for air.

"The Fliers will be extinct, soon," he said. "And it's not like anyone's having babies."

"Oh," Lizzie repeated. What else could she say? The Underland was Ripred's homeland, and while he acted the way he always did, she guessed that he was hurting. "I'm sorry," she murmured.

"Lizzie," he whispered. She marveled at the fact that she heard him; his voice was nearly inaudible. "I need you to trust me. Do you?"

So he knew. She closed her eyes, feeling ashamed. "Always," she said. It was not too fast, she hoped. She locked her arms around his neck, sealing the words with sincerity.

"Okay," Ripred whispered. "We're going to get your niece back."

"Thank you," Lizzie replied. For a moment, she caught a glimpse of herself in a puddle. She was grown up, she realized. She'd known, of course, but this time it was different. She could trust people, without giving herself to them. She leaned her head against Ripred's, allowing herself to relax.

And just as quickly as her doubt had come, it went. It was her worry manifesting itself, she decided.

"Okay," Ripred announced, "Time for a rest stop."

Lizzie reluctantly climbed to the ground, her limbs feeling heavy.

"But there's something that we have to do," Ripred said. His eyes flashed, darkening with surprising ferocity. Lizzie flinched, suddenly afraid. She'd seen him do this before, once or twice.

There was a second pause, nearly dipping into the space-time continuum, and then he lunged. He was on top of Gashlash, and Lizzie's screams hardly registered over the snarling. Kent raced across to her, putting his hand on her arm.

"Hush," he whispered soothingly, "Hush, we'll be fine." He looked away, an expression of disgust on his face. Lizzie clung to his arm, trying to calm herself. She remembered the time that someone had broken into her home; she had been a nervous wreck, while her husband had gotten them outside and called the police. She was not good with disasters, and she never had been.

"Why are they doing this?" Kent whispered, putting an arm around her. "Do you know?" He sounded strained.

Lizzie nodded, her chest tight. "Gashlash told me that he thought Ripred was a traitor. Ripred found out." Kent only nodded, pulling her close to him.

The Gnawers continued to fight, clawing and biting at one another. Lizzie shut her eyes, knowing that one of them would soon be dead. She could be grateful, at least, that they seemed to have forgotten about she and Kent. They wouldn't hurt them, she knew.

Many ominous moments later, Ripred lay panting on the ground. Gashlash was beside him, hardly distinguishable as a creature. His fur was soaked in blood, all his appendages bitten to shreds. He was dead.

Lizzie stood where she was, not loosening her grip on Kent. She was scared that she would fall over if she did.

"Come, Lizzie," he said, "Let us talk to him. I will help you."

She nodded, her vision suddenly blurry. Even if he wasn't a traitor, Ripred had just killed someone in front of her very eyes. What was she supposed to think of him?

"Sorry about that," Ripred said, flopping over as casually as possible. "Had to be done, though."

Kent drew his sword, standing protectively in front of Lizzie. "Tell us why." He was sweating, looking bewildered.

Ripred diplomatically backed up, showing his respect and cooperativeness. "He was a spy, I think. It would certainly explain a lot."

"Gashlash?" Kent asked. "But Lizzie said he accused_ you_."

"The oldest trick," Ripred said, nodding. "I'm surprised he was so careless."

"He betrayed us then?" Kent asked quietly.

"Yes," Ripred said quietly. "I mean, we won't know for sure. It seems likely, though."

"He helped so much," Kent protested, his whole body trembling. "He rescued us many times. Stellovet, especially."

Ripred tossed his tail, in the Gnawers rendition of a shrug. "It's possible he was still a good Gnawer." His teeth showed themselves in a smile. "He could have had a good heart, but still passed on all of our information to the Dictator."

Kent shook his head. "But the cabin! He would have told."

"It would have been too hard," Ripred said. "He would have had to explain how it got done under his watch."

Kent sank to his knees, shaking his head. He was mumbling something, but Lizzie couldn't hear him. She placed a hand on his shoulder, stepping forward.

"Why kill him?" she asked, begging Ripred to justify his actions. "Why not let him be? You didn't know… you didn't know that he'd done anything."

"We can't risk anything," Ripred said. "I couldn't let him put us in danger of being captured."

"Okay," Lizzie said. She forced herself to stop, knowing that questioning him wouldn't make herself feel any better. "Okay. Let's rest the night here, and tomorrow we'll find Lucy."

She sat beside Kent, putting her arm around his shoulders. She would do it then, if it fell to her. She would take charge, for once. She would be the one to keep them safe.


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: Sorry for the long wait between chapters, guys! I was at camp. Anyway, thanks to the reviewers, and here goes!

Lizzie got her wish. The next morning, they set off with serious plans of locating her niece. They would go, find the rebel camp (Ripred said he had a rough idea of their whereabouts), and take her back. Lizzie could hardly breathe, she felt such a mix of relief and fear. What if they had hurt Lucy?

Kent seemed nearly as miserable as the night before. He was squished beside Lizzie now, on Ripred's back, and she could feel him trembling with rage. He was furious with the rat, she knew, even if he wouldn't say it. Every so often, she tried to shoot him comforting glances, but she wasn't sure they were helping.

"Where do you think Hazard is?" Lizzie asked. The words rushed off her tongue a bit more quickly than she would have liked, but she certainly meant them. It was her new strategy; she would know as much as she could, in preparation for when she needed to. She was smart, she'd been told. She was a strategist at heart.

"I don't know," Ripred replied, sounding less surprised than she would have expected. "He could be dead or alive. We really have no way of knowing." It was such a statement that Lizzie decided not to ask any more questions. She didn't want to hear how detached Ripred sounded.

Instead, she wondered about her family in the Overland? How were Arianne and Margaret? She wondered what her husband thought, and if they'd told Gregor. Was he happy, at least, to know that his sister and daughter were in the Underland? It wasn't the way he'd planned it – but then again, she was pretty sure that the Underland was different than he thought it would be anyway.

After a while, her thoughts strayed back to the present world. She was not in the Overland, after all. She was in the middle of a war, although it was not the kind of war she was used to. It was an unpredictable world of deception, and she realized with a start that she didn't even know half of what was going on. The rebellions, the dictators, the "good" guys. Who could she trust? Who wanted what?

She wanted to ask more questions, but she knew it might not get her very far. Ripred could be stubborn, and she still wasn't sure that she'd forgiven him.

Quietly, her attention shifted to Kent. She could hardly imagine how he was feeling. They'd been following Ripred for her sake, and he had just killed the gnawer who had been helping to save Kent's family. And with Stellovet back in Regalia or the Fount, and everyone else dead or missing… It was no wonder he looked so dazed and haunted. She lay a hand against his back, proud that she had the courage to do so.

"Where do you think they are, again?" She kept her eyes focused on the floor and the wall, trying to get a sense of their location. Truly, though, she had no idea where they were.

"I think," Ripred said, slightly breathlessly. "That they're on the edge of the uncharted lands."

"What?" Lizzie asked, surprised. He hadn't mentioned that before.

"You asked me what I thought," Ripred said. "And that's what I think. I was mulling over what I know, and it's the most logical." He turned his head sideways, making eye contact with her. He looked grim.

"It's becoming a safe haven, Lizzie, as sad as that sounds. You asked about Hazard? If he's alive at all, that's where he is."

"With the rebels?" she replied, shocked.

"Not with them, necessarily, but in the Uncharted Lands."

"What do you think Kent?" Lizzie asked, after a few minutes had gone by. She wanted a second opinion, and she herself didn't know enough about the Underland to come up with it.

"I don't know," he said, slowly. "I'd like to think that Hazard's alive. He's my cousin."

"Right," Lizzie said, more confidently than she felt. "Well… I don't see why he wouldn't be alive. He was with a flier?"

"When we last saw him?" Ripred asked. "Kent would probably know that better than I."

"I think he was," Kent replied. "I know that the loyal fliers were staying close to their bonds, and Hazard was bonded so…"

"He was?" she asked. Gregor had told her the sad story of the bat Thalia.

"Yes," Kent replied. "A few years ago. To Janus."

"Okay. And Mareth's missing too, right? So they're probably together…"

"You're very hopeful today," Ripred mused.

"We're finding Lucy, today," Lizzie replied. "I am hopeful." He didn't challenge her.

"You've certainly grown up," he continued, after a brief pause. "I remember when you were the small, nervous girl who threw up all over Regalia."

Lizzie's shoulders tilted forward in a form of embarrassment. "I did grow up," she said, softly. She was not so tall still, she knew. However, she had passed the five-foot mark, which she was forever grateful for. She _had _changed of course. That's what happened when years went by, wasn't it?

"Have you looked where we are?" Ripred asked, several hours later.

"What?" Lizzie said, snapping out of her daze.

"The Uncharted Lands," Kent supplied, whispering to her. "No one in the Underland truly knows what lies beyond that point." He gestured with his hand.

"You got us here fast," Lizzie said, speaking to Ripred.

"Yes," he said, simply. "You want to find your niece, I know."

Lizzie looked at him a moment, realizing that he had changed as well. He was still stubborn, but he was also much more tame now. He seemed almost weaker, although she wasn't sure why.

"What do we do?" Lizzie asked, some of her earlier fight leaving her.

"We negotiate," Ripred replied, panting. "If you can follow the direction of my claw, I would say that the out-of-place herd over there has your niece."

A/N: That's all for now! I hope you guys liked it!


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Thanks so much to my faithful reviewers! You guys are great!

Ripred shushed Lizzie, his face hardening into a firm expression. "Be quiet for now, okay? Let me scare them."

"Okay," Lizzie replied, already whispering. She was so afraid of causing a misstep, of not getting Lucy, that she would do anything he said.

"Excuse me." Ripred had raised his voice, gaining the direct attention of the group. He padded over, Lizzie and Kent remaining fixed on his back.

"You have something that belongs to us. From the Overland."

The group consisted mostly of humans and gnawers, with a few other creatures sprinkled around. How funny it was, Lizzie thought, that they were _all _their enemies. She remembered the previous war, when the gnawers were the only ones they had to be afraid of.

"Listen Ripred, I know who you are," a man said, standing up. "You speak with vigor, and yet you were nowhere to be found when the dictator took power." He glared, narrowing his eyes.

"But I'm here now," Ripred hissed. "And we want the same things. And the little girl does not belong to you, she belongs to the Code Breaker." He lifted a claw, pointing it at Lizzie and then resting it against the man's throat.

There was momentary chaos, as everyone began to whisper. "Does the code breaker come to help us?" a gnawer asked, eyes glued on Lizzie. She stared right back, hoping to intimidate.

"The Code Breaker comes to get her niece," Ripred snarled. "And don't pretend you could possibly be of any use if you had help. You're useless. You sit and wreak havoc, but nothing changes. This is not the way to rid yourself of the dictator." He looked truly outraged, Lizzie observed. "Give us back the Overlander, and perhaps the Warrior will return to save us all."

There was further whispering, and Lizzie had to close her eyes and picture Lucy's smiling face in order to stay where she was. She wanted to jump up and snatch her away, but of course it might get them both killed. Besides, even after scrutinizing the camp with her eyes, she had no idea where Lucy _was_.

"You have crossed many lines, Rebels," Ripred continued warningly. "You have killed many innocent, you have done _nothing_ in your righteousness. It is your mistake – and for that, I will not show you mercy. Where is the girl?" His voice thundered. From her spot on his back, Lizzie could feel the way his lungs vibrated as he bellowed. Suddenly, she wondered how personal this was for him. The Underland was his home, of course he hated what was happening to it. She glanced to Kent, but his face was impassive.

The first man – who had Ripred's claw upon his collarbone – spoke again. "We will give you to her." He held up a hand. "If one of the humans," he inclined his hand, leaning it towards Lizzie and Kent, "Will fight Greytail."

Greytail emerged from the clump. He was a large, grey rat with the longest whiskers that Lizzie had ever seen.

"No," Ripred replied. "She doesn't belong to you, we are taking her."

The man moved his hand, grabbing onto Ripred's claw. He was too quick, apparently. "Ripred, we outnumber you. We could kill you all."

"That would be unwise," Ripred growled, staring the man in his eyes.

"So fight us," the man said, releasing his grip on Ripred's claw. "Fight us, and see how it turns out. Or, have the Code Breaker or her friend fight Greytail."

"I'll fight," Lizzie squeaked. She had never used a sword in her life, but that didn't matter. She knew that this was her responsibility. What else would she do? She couldn't just sit, and assume the Ripred knew what he was doing. Truthfully, she was beginning to doubt that he did. And even so, there were three of them. If the group was to get angry and strike at them, they could kill all three nearly instantly. Ripred, it seemed, was lacking proper judgment.

"Lizzie," It was Kent, objecting just as Ripred opened his mouth. "No, I cannot let you. I will fight Greytail."

A/N: I know, that was the shortest chapter ever. I had to leave it like that, though. Anyway, that's it for now! Please review, it really helps to motivate me!


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: I'm so sorry that this took me ages! I hope you forgive me.

"No Kent," Lizzie whispered, seizing his arm. Panic grabbed her, even as he stayed still. Even more than Ripred, he was her friend down here. She couldn't even risk losing him.

"Lizzie," Kent said, looking at her straight in the face. "If you fight this Gnawer, I won't see again." He smiled. "I won't have time to teach you proper fighting skills for the future."

"You think you can win then?" she asked.

"Yes, Lizzie," he replied, still smiling. "I can win. My brother was always fond of the Warrior, you know. He would be proud if I saved the Warrior's daughter."

"And we'll get him back after this," Lizzie said, her chest aching as she didn't fight him. "Howard. I promise, we'll go and find him as soon as we get Lucy."

"Thank you," he said, bowing his head to her. Then, he slid of Ripred's back with ease, sword in hand. Lizzie gulped, feeling nauseous. She shouldn't be letting him fight her battle, she knew. But he had spoken the truth. She couldn't win this, and he could. Still though, that didn't make it fair.

Ripred spoke her guilt aloud, swiveling his eyes in her direction. "You're letting him do this?"

"He says he can win," she squeaked back. For a moment, she thought of her daughter. Her heart filled with love at first, and then even thicker shame. She was a mother. Lucy, while she was her niece by blood, had always been as good as her daughter. And yet, she wasn't doing the true maternal thing. She wasn't acting as an adult, and taking the reigns of the situation. She was falling away in her meekness, and letting someone else try and solve the problem. Glancing at her petite hands, trembling with fear, she wondered if she'd grown at all.

"I accept the challenge," Kent spoke, his head high. "We fight, alone. And if I win, we get the Overlander child."

"What about if we win?" a man shouted, looking positively menacing. He was sharpening a knife, brandishing the shimmering blade through the air. Lizzie shuddered, clasping her legs around Ripred's body.

"I'll help you," Lizzie replied shakily, after a minute. That, at least, she could offer. If for some unthinkable reason Kent was killed, that would be the next best thing, wouldn't it? She would help them defeat the dictator, and perhaps they would give Lucy back in the end… Still, she hated herself for even considering it.

Her proposal got their attention, striking up further murmurs and excitement in the crowd. "We accept," Greytail murmured, his voice low. He had come forward, taking his place in front of Kent.

"Are you sure Lizzie?" Ripred whispered.

"Yes," Lizzie replied, proud of how sure she sounded.

"Alright," a flier from the crowd called. "Begin the fight."

Lizzie inhaled sharply, her skin tingling with fear. Greytail had picked up a sword with his fangs.

Lizzie slid down, so that only her eyes were peaking out over Ripred's head. It felt safer that way, getting a slightly obscured vision.

And then the fight began.

Kent lifted his blade, deviously pulling it back and then gutting Greytail with it. It hardly seemed to hurt the rat, though. He ignored the gash, shifting his own sword from his mouth to his claws.

He pushed his paw forward, and Kent narrowly avoided the blade each time. On the last, it cut him in the shoulder. Lizzie shut her eyes as she saw the blood, trying to ignore the cheering from the camp.

"Why does it have to be to the death?" she whispered, speaking more to herself than to Ripred.

"Single combat is rarely done," Ripred replied. "It's only worth it if the contenders have the possibility of death." He sounded bitter.

Eventually, Lizzie closed her eyes to the fight. It seemed to go on forever, blades and fangs flying at flesh and fur. They both began to look worse for the wear, although Lizzie had no idea who was winning. There was so much blood… this couldn't go on.

She opened her eyes as she heard the crowd boo. Kent had slashed off a piece of Greytail's tail.

"I guess he's only Grey now," Ripred said dully, always having to make his little joke.

Lizzie made a face, noticing the way his pelt was stained with the blood. "Or nothing, maybe. Red."

Ripred smiled at her. "That's my name."

Kent got a blast to the knee then, and Lizzie immediately stopped joking. He must be in so much pain, she thought sadly.

It was getting later. The Underland had no sun, of course, but she could feel it in her bones. It was almost the end of the day.

"Come on Kent," she muttered to herself. "Please."

"Close your eyes, Lizzie," Ripred instructed, loudly. "They're nearing the end. I don't want you to see this."

Lizzie did so, feeling so stupid. She really _hadn't_ aged, it felt like. She was still a child, being protected by her knight in shining armor: Ripred.

Sure enough, he had been right. A few more minutes and she heard a terrible gushing sound, and screaming and wailing, and then… silence.

"Lizzie, Lizzie, it's okay," Ripred said, his tone hushed. He was moving, walking towards where the battle had been. "He's okay."

"Really?" She dared to peak, nearly vomiting at the sight of what had been Greytail. Her heart actually went out to the Rebels, sobbing and kneeling at his side.

"Kent's injured though, I think he needs our help."

Lizzie went to action at once, sliding down and running to him. She would bandage him, do what she could.

"Lizzie, wait," Ripred said. He caught her with his tail. "We've beaten them. We can get your niece." His eyes shone; he was happy for her.

"I know," Lizzie replied, suddenly feeling emotional. She leapt forward, hugging her hero. Kent had fought, but he had to. And she would make it up to them. After this, they would get back Howard, and then take down the dictator.

A/N: That's all for now! I hope you guys liked it! Reviews are much appreciated!


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: Going over previous chapters, I realized that a lot of this story really sucks. In terms of grammar, at least. So over the next few weeks or so (assuming school doesn't bury me with work first), I'm going to attempt to go back and fix those things. Anyway, I'm very sorry for the long wait! Much love to those who reviewed last chapter, and on with the story!

Lizzie took every moment in a lethargic fashion, bandaging Kent's knee with the utmost care. Her blood pounded in her ears, her head throbbing at the anticipation of seeing Lucy again.

One of the rebel women, a kind one, had offered to ready Lucy for departure. Lizzie had gaped, protesting that she wanted to see her niece herself, but then obliged. Kent needed medical attention anyway, and if she steeled herself, she could wait a few more minutes.

The rebels shrunk away from them, mourning Greytail and leaving them alone. As grateful as Lizzie was to be free from their threats, she did feel badly. If it had gone her way, no one would have had to die at all.

"Are you okay?" She wrapped the cloth around Kent's leg, tying it as securely as she could without fastening a tourniquet.

He had a vague smile on his face, sweat pouring across his skin in beads. "Fine," he said, his voice raw. She pushed back his sodden blonde hair, stroking his moist forehead with her fingers.

"T-thank you," she murmured, her entire body overtaken by what he had done. She didn't know what else to say.

Somehow, he lifted his hand to grip hers. Both shaking, they pressed their palms together, in complete understanding of the bond between them. He had saved something more valuable then her life, and Lizzie knew in this instant that she would do the same more him. Deep breath by deep breath, she wondered what had come over her. Maybe it was just being witness to such a selfless act, but she felt as if something had changed. Her fears had certainly not left her, but she was steadfast that they would no longer hold her back.

Ripred returned to them then, panting. They did not let go of one another, but turned to look at him.

"Alright," he said, an expression of impatience on his face. "I talked to them. They were rather unresponsive, as you might have expected, but they listened."

"And?" Lizzie said, hopeful. Her wide eyes met his stony ones.

"They said they'll help," he said, a grin emerging on his face. "If we ask, but only when we need them most." He ran over the silence with a more in-depth explanation. "In other words, they aren't exactly marching back into Regalia with us. But they said they'd stay here, stay safe, and come when we need them." He paused. "Maybe I should have only asked this of them originally. After all, they want what we want."

"It's okay," Lizzie said, offering him a small smile. "You didn't know how they would react. Besides, they aren't all exactly…" She trailed off. As compassionate as some of the rebels seemed, and as glad as she was for their offer of assistance, she still resented them for taking Lucy. Yes, of course they didn't deserve what was happening to them, but she didn't feel they had a right to be so hypocritical. Even so, her heart weighed heavily in her chest, still guilty over Greytail's death.

They took a moment now, simultaneously silent. Kent and Lizzie both smiled, and Ripred seemed almost complacent. He was probably just relieved, Lizzie decided. Underneath his rather brutal exterior, she knew he worried about things too. He had probably been just as concerned for Kent as she.

"Did you…" Kent began. He had to stop and catch his breath, and Lizzie helped him set up. She leaned him against a rock at first, and when that seemed to rough, against her lap. He continued to smile. "Did you mean what you said?" he asked quietly, each word taking inevitable effort.

"What did I say?" Lizzie replied, her tone matching his.

"About finding my brother," he said. "Did you mean that?"

"Yes," Lizzie said, disallowing herself even a moment of hesitation. It was his turn to put his family back together. She turned to Ripred. "Isn't that our next stop?"

"Guess so," Ripred replied. Another grin burst through his furry face. "After all, if we're taking down the Dictator, we ought to have another leader to offer them. And who could be better than their old queen?"

Lizzie smiled, feeling a strange bliss wash over her. Luxa. Gregor had loved Luxa, she knew. Luxa had been the cloud over his marriage, the bright light over his darkest hours. In a way, she felt as if she were doing this for her brother.

Glancing down at Kent, she considered the ring on her own finger. She loved her husband very much. Besides the fact that he was the father of Angel, her one love above all else, she loved him for himself. They fit together, in their own easy way. But lying here on the Underland's earth, she wondered how far he would go for her. For her family. They had met in college, quickly eloped, and had their daughter a few years later. Simplicity could definition of their life together. And as she thought it over, remembered her past, she realized that she would never be simple enough to fit it entirely. Not with all of these old ties, coming back to bind her wrists.

"Lizzie." Ripred rubbed her shoulder with his nose, and she turned her attention. A small blonde figure was running towards them, little legs charging against the ground.

"Aunt Lizzie! Aunt Lizzie!"

Lizzie ran to meet her, Kent rolling off of her as she rushed forward. "Lucy!" she called, practically hysterical.

It was clear from Lucy's crisp appearance that she had not been mistreated. In fact, it seemed as if she had been quite happy with the rebels. Still, she squealed in delight as her aunt whirled her off the ground.

"Are we going home?" she asked, once Lizzie had loosened her grip enough for Lucy to talk.

"Not yet," Lizzie breathed, uncertain why she was telling a three-year-old the truth. "But we will, I promise you. Your daddy is going to be so happy to see you."

A/N: That's all for now! Again, so sorry for the long wait. Reviews would be much loved! q


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: Ugh, I am so incredibly sorry that I hadn't updated this yet. Hopefully I'll get back on a regular updating schedule, and the next chapters won't be so far between. Many thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter!

From the moment they retrieved Lucy, hope embedded itself deep into Lizzie's skin. She no longer felt resentful or angry or even too afraid. Now she had everything she needed, and she would do as much as she could to help the two men - the two creatures - whom she owed so dearly.

The Rebels moved past Greytail's defeat with impeccable speed and were kind enough to offer them a camp site until Kent's knee healed. Ripred accepted on their behalf, saying that it would be stupid to try and break Howard and Luxa out of prison if they were not a hundred percent. Kent did not really wish to wait, but he eventually obliged to Ripred's logic.

Circled around the solace of a fire, Lizzie found herself optimistic enough to speak her hopes aloud. The Dictator would be defeated, she could feel it. She could sense the coming victory, buzzing under her fingertips.

Ripred laughed at her once, saying that she was reminded him more and more of Boots everyday. Lizzie replied with a wry smile, wondering what he would think if he ever saw Margaret again. She'd grown worlds apart from the bouncy, buoyant baby she'd once been.

"Code Breaker...?" A young woman approached them, her pale skin papery over her lean frame.

"Yes?" Lizzie looked up, her gaze soft. People approached her often now, wanting to ask her questions or speak to her. Mostly she found it flattering, if a tad embarrassing. Ripred suggested that she emphasize her plans to assist in the Dictator's defeat. Lizzie did so hesitantly, deciding not to mention that she had no idea just how she was going to assist.

"I was wondering... can you tell me something about the Warrior?"

Lizzie felt the base of her throat constrict, the way it always did they brought up her brother. She may have found his youngest daughter, yes, but that hardly solved his problems. He was still depressed, divorced and sometimes incoherent. Before she could answer, say that she didn't have any stories, Lucy's face turned up in the firelight.

Puffy cheeks red in happiness, small body cushioned in Lizzie's lap, she broke into a toddler-happy smile. "Daddy?"

Attempting to ignore the wave of shock that passed over her, Lizzie took the little girl's hands. "How did you know that's your Daddy's name?"

She giggled, raising her arms in a shrug. "I don't know!" she said excitedly, before bursting into another train of giggles. Kent smiled at them across the fire, and Ripred shook his head derisively. The Gnawer put up with Lucy as best he could, saying that he could see the traces of Gregor in her, but he simply lacked an affinity for small children.

"Code Breaker?" The woman looked expectant, and Lizzie realized she'd never given an answer.

"Well..." she flicked her tongue against the back of her lip, digging through the annals of her brain for a good memory of Gregor. Finally a spark hit, and she smiled. "Do you want to here about the day Arianne was born?"

Lucy clapped her hands together, nearly hitting Lizzie's chin. "My sister!"

"Yes," Lizzie whispered, smoothing the girl's hair out of habit. She wondered how Lucy would react to hearing about her mother and made a split decision that it hopefully wouldn't be too bad. "Well, Arianne was born in July, so you know... it was warm." She cleared her throat, remembering just how awful she was at telling stories. But then she spotted the Underlander's expression, the way she hung onto every word, and she continued with a breath. "And Bridget... that's the girls' mom... she couldn't go swimming obviously, because she was too pregnant, but she wanted Gregor to take her to the beach."

She paused, taking in Lucy's pensive expression with a flutter of concern. "Anyway, Gregor doesn't like the beach much, but Bridget insisted that it would be good for the baby, and so he went with her." She smiled, remembering the next part all too well. "They were sitting on the sand, near the water, and suddenly Bridget gasped. Now since they were sitting near the tides, Gregor thought that the waves had just hit her... because he saw water under her..." she explained. "But then she started, um," Screaming was the real answer, and Lizzie fought quickly to find a better description. "... having contractions. And then Gregor realized that her water had broken."

Her lungs swept in another mouthful of air, this time with a smile right behind it. It felt nice to remember the good moments from Gregor's life. "But they were on a beach, so, you know, no nearby access to hospitals." She realized with a blush that Underlanders would probably not know what a beach was at all, but she skipped the explanation for now. "He ran from towel to towel, saying that his wife was going to have a baby. Luckily, they found a young guy was a medical student, and he knew enough to give instructions. You know, on how to breathe and stuff... Bridget was almost a month early, so they hadn't finalized everything else. Anyway, eventually this guy, he was a famous movie producer, offered his chauffeur to them. He went with them to the hospital, and stayed with them the whole time." She laughed. "Poor Arianne though. He's done some of her favorite movies, and she doesn't even remember meeting him!"

Looking around the circle, she realized no one else was laughing. Of course. They didn't know about things like movie producers. Still, the Underlander woman offered a small smile. "That was a wonderful story, Code Breaker. Thank you." She retreated slowly, and Lizzie noticed that her expression fell the moment she thought she was out of vision range.

"Wait!" Placing Lucy gently on the floor, Lizzie sprinted after her. "Listen... My brother, he's been sick. If he wasn't, I know he would come back and help you. I just know it." The woman smiled, sudden tears welling in her eyes.

"Thank you, Code - "

"Oh, please call me Lizzie."

"Lizzie." The woman caught her off guard, taking her hands in a warm gesture of kindness. "I know you are correct. The Warrior would not abandon us if he had a choice."

Abandon them? What, did they think of him as their savior? Flushed with pride and overwhelming emotion, Lizzie squeezed her fingers tightly. "Of course not. He cares a lot about all of you." The woman nodded and began to slink away, dropping Lizzie's hands with a sad smile. Sighing, wishing she could do more to help, Lizzie returned to the fire.

"What was that about?" Ripred asked, curious.

"Nothing," Lizzie replied quickly. "It's not important."

"If you say so," he replied, giving a rat-like rendition of a shrug. "Nice story there."

"Yes!" Lucy cried, wrapping her arms around Lizzie's neck. "Good story!" Her aunt laughed, turning to Ripred as well. "Thank you. It's one of my favorite ones to tell, because Gregor was so excited when he told us about it."

"I bet," Ripred replied evenly. His thoughts were already somewhere else though, Lizzie could tell. "Kent... how's that knee of yours?"

Suspiciously quiet, Kent lifted his head. "It is healing well."

"Think you would be well enough to ride tomorrow?"

He hardly considered it, nodding at once. "Of course. We will go to find my brother?"

"That's the plan, yes," Ripred said. "I think it's time we end this."

A/N: Thanks for reading! Reviews would be much loved! :D


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